How to download emails from Outlook
How to download emails from Outlook: drag the message from the list to your desktop in classic Outlook (you get a .msg file) or use More actions → Download in new Outlook and Outlook on the web (you get an .eml file). Both files hold the complete message with headers and attachments. Open either one in SaveMail to read it or save it as a PDF; the file never leaves your browser.
What "download an email" means in Outlook
Outlook does not have a Download button in the desktop app, which is why the question comes up so often. What you can do is save a message as a file, and the file type depends on which Outlook you use. Pick the format by what you plan to do with the email afterward.
| You want | Format | How |
|---|---|---|
| An exact copy you can reopen in Outlook later | .msg (classic Windows) or .eml (new Outlook, web, Mac) | Drag to a folder, or File → Save As, or More actions → Download |
| A copy anyone can read, for a case file or a claim | Print to PDF, or convert the .msg/.eml file in SaveMail | |
| Just the text | .txt | File → Save As → Text Only (classic) |
| Your whole mailbox | .pst | File → Open & Export → Import/Export; see export Outlook emails |
A .msg file is Outlook's own container: headers, body, inline pictures and attachments in one file. An .eml file is the same message in the standard internet format that every mail program understands.
Have the email as a file (EML, MSG, MBOX)? Convert it to PDF in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
How to download emails from Outlook for Windows (classic)
The drag method is the fastest and works for any number of messages at once.
- Open File Explorer to the folder where you want the emails, and place the window next to Outlook.
- In Outlook, click the email in the message list. Hold Ctrl to select several, or Ctrl-A for the whole folder.
- Drag the selection into the File Explorer window and let go. Outlook writes one .msg file per message, named after the subject.
The menu route gives you more formats:
- Open the email in its own window.
- Click File → Save As.
- In "Save as type" choose Outlook Message Format - Unicode (.msg), Text Only (.txt), HTML or MHT.
- Pick a folder and click Save.
Choose the Unicode variant of .msg: it keeps accented characters and non-Latin text intact.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web: Download gives you an .eml
- Select the email so it shows in the reading pane.
- Click More actions (the three dots) and choose Download. Some builds label it Save as.
- The browser saves an .eml file to your Downloads folder.
The .eml contains the attachments, so you do not have to download them separately. If the Download command is missing, your organization may have switched it off; printing to PDF from the same menu still works.
Outlook for Mac
Drag the message from the list to the desktop or any Finder window; Outlook for Mac saves it as an .eml file. The menu alternative is File → Save As, which offers the same .eml format. A message saved this way opens in Apple Mail, Thunderbird and SaveMail. For the Mac-specific archive options see archive emails in Outlook on Mac.
Open the downloaded email without Outlook, or save it as a PDF
A downloaded .msg file is useful only if the recipient has Outlook. SaveMail removes that dependency.
- Go to savemail.app and drop the .msg or .eml file on the page. The file is read in the browser tab with the File API; nothing is sent to a server, no account is asked for.
- The message appears with its full header block, the body and the attachment list.
- Click Save as PDF and confirm in the print dialog. The text stays selectable in the PDF.
- Download attachments individually or as a ZIP if the recipient needs them.
Very large attachments inside a .msg file take a moment to extract, and encrypted messages are shown as encrypted rather than decrypted. A .pst mailbox file cannot be opened in the browser; export individual messages from Outlook instead.
Related commands people search for alongside downloading
- Save as draft: a message you are writing is saved to Drafts automatically every few minutes; press Ctrl-S or close the window and choose Save to do it now.
- Copy an email to another folder: hold Ctrl while dragging it, or right-click → Move → Copy to Folder.
- Save contacts: open a contact → File → Save As gives a .vcf card; the Import/Export wizard exports the whole contact list as CSV.
- Store emails outside the mailbox: files on disk as above, or a .pst export; the backup guide compares both.
Frequently asked questions
How do I save an email from Outlook to my computer?
Drag it from the message list to a folder in File Explorer (classic Outlook, .msg) or use More actions → Download (new Outlook and web, .eml). File → Save As in classic Outlook offers .msg, .txt, HTML and MHT.
How do I download an email in Outlook on the web?
Open the message, click the three dots at the top-right and choose Download. The browser saves an .eml file that includes the attachments.
How do I save many emails from Outlook at once?
In classic Outlook select the messages (Ctrl-A for a folder) and drag them into a File Explorer window; you get one .msg file each. For a complete mailbox use the PST export.
How do I save an email as a draft in Outlook?
Outlook saves open drafts automatically. To save immediately, press Ctrl-S in the compose window, or close it and answer Yes when asked to save changes.
How do I open a downloaded .msg file without Outlook?
Drop it on savemail.app. The message is rendered in your browser with headers, body and attachments, and you can save it as a PDF; nothing is uploaded.
How do I save Outlook contacts?
Open the contact and choose File → Save As for a .vcf file, or run File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file → Comma Separated Values and pick the Contacts folder.